The process of knowledge acquisition through interpersonal communication in the "Parents as first teachers" programme : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Communication Management at Massey University

Communication researchers interested in the role played by knowledge in social terms have produced a variety of explorations in recent times of "knowledge gaps" and informational inequities between various groups in society. More broadly, studies of the significance of issues of relative access to information and thus ability to participate in civil society have been described as the sociology of knowledge. Arising out of an interest in documenting successful strategies in bridging knowledge gaps, the present study aimed to explore an information programme called Parents As First Teachers (PAFT), which operates on the basis of a one­ to-one relationship between informationally needy individuals (parents of newborn infants) and trained experts in parenting matters. This arrangement continues monthly for three years. It seemed likely that this information programme could present an example of an effective receiver-focused model of bridging knowledge gaps. A series of 22 in-depth interviews was conducted with parent and educator participants in the PAFT programme in Auckland, New Zealand. In addition, observation was carried out of the hour-long monthly home visits so that a detailed picture could be obtained of the significance of the interpersonal relationship between parent and educator for effective learning. Transcripts of interviews were analysed using a coding protocol developed on the basis of the research objectives. The study found limited support for the contentions of extant information poverty literature in regard to self-imposed isolation and avoiding disclosing problems. Interviewees preferred to isolate themselves within their neighbourhoods, but they did seek information via family and social networks. They were also highly motivated in regard to seeking the best for their children, and it is possible that motivation in this instance has been a more powerful factor in knowledge acquisition than education, often used as a predictor of response to informational need. The significance of this study is in its detailed presentation of the information world of the insider, and the support the data give for a situational approach to knowledge gaps. It signals that there is a definite role for a close and trusting interpersonal relationship between source and receiver in the knowledge acquisition process. Two key areas for follow-up studies are the role played by interpersonal communication networks in disseminating knowledge beyond the original knowledge exchange context, and whether the strong motivation observed in the parents interviewed for this research was attributable to the PAFT programme itself or was a characteristic already present in participants

News media literacy challenges and opportunities for Australian school students and teachers in the age of platforms

News media literacy competencies and motivation in teachers are critical to media education initiatives. This article draws on a survey of 97 primary and secondary school teachers conducted as part of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and University of Tasmania’s national Media Literacy Project in 2018. The data reveals challenges in the implementation of media literacy in classrooms, highlighting a generational divide linked to Australians’ rising consumption of news from digital sources and social media platforms. While teachers overwhelmingly say critical thinking about media is very important for students, nearly a quarter of these teachers are not engaging with news stories in the classroom. The data suggests responses require new resources, a review of teacher training, curriculum support, wider community collaboration and further research in the field

Henderson News 3.4

In This Issue: Albert Einstein Centennial Exhibit Black History Month Exhibit A is for Arab: Stereotypes in Popular U.S. Culture Sustainability Showcase Retirement: Cynthia Fros

Canadian incest autobiography

Incest autobiography is a distinct form of trauma writing. Although the sub-genre began more than two decades ago, it remains largely unexamined. Canadian writers’ substantial contribution to incest autobiography, in particular, is not well recognized. Four of the Canadian incest autobiographers, Charlotte Vale Allen, Sylvia Fraser, Elly Danica, and Janice Williamson have written specifically about father-daughter incest. Their books, Daddy’s Girl (1980), My Father’s House (1987), Don’t (1988), and Crybaby! (1998), because they are similar in focus but different in style, demonstrate the many ways to write autobiographically about incest. They validate incest victims’ experience while demonstrating that incest trauma is not monolithic. They are also shocking. Despite the media’s continuous exposure of incest victimization, most people will not feel a sense of complacency or familiarity with the presentation of incest in the autobiographies. Because of the very intimate autobiographical voice and the steady focus on incest, the books elicit an empathetic response. Readers become the witnesses to the incestuous abuse. Allen Fraser, Danica, and Williamson have encouraged an engaged reading of their books. They have also extended the parameters of contemporary Canadian women’s writing, autobiographical writing, and writing about sexual violence against children and women. The now well developed sub-genre of incest autobiography is in a position to make a substantial social and literary impact

Online Customer Trust in the Context of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Background: A recent global survey found that almost half of Internet users who never buy online indicated lack of trust as the main reason. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is new legislation expected to provide the opportunity for organizations to improve their customer trust through personal data governance. Few studies explore online customer trust from the GDPR perspective. This study aims to fill this gap by drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), examining the antecedents of online customer trust from the GDPR perspective. The study also attempts to derive insights about the GDPR that may affect online customer trust, but which to date have little presence in frameworks of the antecedents of online trust. The main research questions are as follows. First, what are the impacts of perceived technology, perceived risks and perceived trustworthiness on online customer trust in the GDPR context? Second, what are the GDPR-specific factors that may affect online customer trust? Method: This positivist study used a survey strategy with a deductive approach to investigate the research questions. A questionnaire was designed for primary data collection as the basis for quantitative data analysis. Results: Data analysis confirmed that several GDPR-related trust antecedents – perceived security, perceived third-party assurance and perceived openness – are positively associated with online customer trust. This study offers new insights into the SDT adaptation that suggest the value of motivation theory for trust research in the GDPR context. This study also generates insights about the GDPR that may affect online customer trust. Conclusions: This study suggests that the GDPR plays a significant role in online customer trust by bringing about stronger rights and more transparency for online customers. Both the confirmation and insights are a contribution that can lead seemingly old-fashioned trust antecedents into a new application. Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/pajais/vol12/iss1/4

Free internet as agent of community transformation

Does the internet empower communities or perpetuate the status quo? Can universal internet access resolve education, employment, and other social gaps? We report on our longitudinal assessment of low income community access to free internet in New Zealand, in terms of new internet users (1) community belonging, (2) internet connectedness, and (3) civic engagement. Findings show internet connectedness may have only a minimal impact on community capacity due to constraints such as family transience, difficult domestic circumstances, inadequate project resourcing, and poor literacy. Internet ubiquity may not be a strategically useful social objective unless contextual limitations are recognised and addressed

"Traversing the Globe - the L'Estrange photographic legacy" - media

Media re the "Traversing the Globe - the L'Estrange photographic legacy

Behavioral Health Models to Understand High-Risk Prenatal Patient Adherence to Visit Schedule in Camden

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Despite improvement initiatives, patient non-adherence remains an issue in healthcare. Patients with high-risk pregnancies require more frequent monitoring to reduce complications. This study aims to better understand visit non-adherence with high-risk prenatal appointments. We hypothesized that patients’ perceived logistic barriers would be the most prominent determinant of visit non-adherence. Methods: This study included adult, English speaking patients of the high-risk prenatal clinic at Cooper University Hospital that missed at least one appointment. We completed three, one hour focus groups with seven participants. Constant comparison analysis was used to determine common themes discussed by participants. Axial coding and basic unit descriptors were defined by both facilitators to determine common themes discussed during the focus group sessions. Results: We identified two main themes in regards to patient visit non-adherence in our population: logistic issues and perceived relationship issues between the patient and the care team. Logistic issues included issues with rescheduling, seeing different providers, parking, wait time and office hours. In regards to patient-care team relationships, subjects frequently brought up issues with respect, feeling heard by providers, communication and professionalism. All seven patients identified at least one of the five domains of logistic barriers as a concern. Five of the seven participants identified an issue across the four domains of relationship issues. Discussion: The focus group analysis illustrated recurrent themes of logistic barriers and deficiencies in patient-care team relationships that contributed to high-risk prenatal visit non-adherence. A follow-up survey study is necessary to quantitatively assess the most prominent reasons for visit non-adherence based on the themes identified in our study. Keywords: High-Risk Prenatal Clinic, Appointment Adherence, Health Behaviors Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, Focus Group Analysi